Long ago, Castlemaine’s claim to fame was the local abundance of two valuable resources: gold and beer. Despite the town retaining so many of its historical buildings, those particular reasons for being have long since gone; the gold has all been mined and the last brewery closed its doors in 1925.
Prior to that, during the 19th century, Castlemaine was home to more than a dozen breweries, including Lion Nathan-owned Castlemaine Perkins before the company was moved to Queensland. The rest of the town’s breweries closed their doors over time, with many of them bought out by competitors in Melbourne.
In 2014, some locals decided it was time for something to change and brought a beer of their own to town. Initially known as Castlemaine Brewing Co, that name soon changed to Shedshaker, and since 2016, its home has been inside the town's historic Woollen Mills.
Naturally, beer is central to the Shedshaker story, but to understand the brewery, you need to know much more. Owned and operated by Jacqueline Brodie Hanns and Doug Falconer, the pair have put community at the heart of the brewery since day one.
The Taproom has regularly hosted comedy nights, book clubs, local choirs and free live music several nights a week. It means that often, that Shed does indeed Shake as scores of locals and visitors from further afield fill the space to get a glimpse of emerging artists and some of the country’s finest independent musicians.
Sitting opposite the Botanical Gardens, the Woollen Mills date back to 1875 and today, it's been turned into a hub for local and artisanal production. It means fellow tenants include bakeries, a coffee roaster, a small winery, and the Castlemaine Bazaar: a cooperative filled with vintage stores that you could lose hours in.
Indeed, The Taproom soon became so popular that towards the end of 2020, they knew it was time to find a new home. Fortunately, they didn't have to travel far as the Mill's owner was working on redeveloping another section of the precinct and invited them in to take up the new, though historic, space.
The new space brought many opportunities for the local brewery, including an expanded music program and a purpose-built stage. Walk in and you'll immediately see that this is a brewery built for the community; art lines the walls, vivid sculptures are on display and the rooftop is made from repurposed drum kits – a reference to Doug's other life as part of the legendary rock outfit Hunters & Collectors.
With room for 300 people, The Taproom is one of Victoria's key regional live music venues; a fact that's seen it pick up awards for their strident support of artists.
But the care doesn’t end there, with the new home also bringing the power of the sun. On designing the space, Jacqueline and Doug decided to forego any gas connection and instead power the brewery as sustainably as they could. It’s an ethos that runs across the business in terms of how they deal with what supplies come into and ultimately leave the brewery, with a concern for the world around them always front of mind.
That brings us to the beer. Since 2023, it has been under the stewardship of Andrew Cronin who helped found Melbourne's Cavalier. As one of Melbourne's early craft breweries, Andrew's been involved in creating countless new beers, including for the many indie brewers that got their start at Cavalier.
The brewery's core range includes the more easy-drinking Golden Ale, Lager, and Frailty Pale Ale, alongside cult favourites that have been around since the early days, such as Espresso Black Lager, Knucklehead Rye IPA, and Celtic Red. Limited releases, meanwhile, can be as creative or as classic as they come, with fruited sours, the heavily hopped, and Belgian classics all appearing throughout the year.
Designed as a brewpub first and foremost, you will find Shedshaker’s beers a little further afield too, with their backyard of Central Victoria eager to embrace a brewery to call their own.
But enjoy that beer at The Taproom and you’ll have the chance to enjoy an impressive feast too. The Italian menu includes delightful small bites, the kind of pasta you wouldn’t expect to be served in a brewery, and pizzas that are best shared with friends.
Indeed, Shedshaker Brewing at The Taproom is certainly a place for people to connect, which is what’s fuelled the brewery and the community around them.
In the modern world, sometimes it can feel a little like there’s little space for independent and family-run businesses, artists, and third spaces where people can feel connected to one another. Fortunately, Shedshaker have ensured that in Castlemaine, community is as abundant and as valued as any gold or beer.
